bridge too far

SFC kit and supporting SFC (teeth always gritted)

Whooooosh! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxymoron

And this, St George, showing that the US has more immigrants than any other country in the world: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immigration_to_the_United_States

Nice sentiment but it doesn't work. Currently, in these economically straightened times, charities are receiving far less in the way of donations from companies and individuals. People in need can't be dependent on charities with fluctuating budgets. This is from your country: http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2008/07/14/focus10.html

Since they were entitled, as refugees, to apply for assistance in any European country, it could be that they knew other Afghanis in the UK and, let's face it, if we're going to live in an alien country, we'd all probably rather be with people we knew or could help us settle. If you read an earlier post of mine, you'll find that actually GB is way down the list of European countries with asylum seekers.

Immigrants from Commonwealth countries (of which India is one) do have slightly different rules but if he was asking for asylum, he'd be thoroughly questioned and if, as you are implying, he was lying, he'd be sent back home. Immigration officers at borders are not judges and cannot make decisions about who should and shouldn't be classed as asylum seekers any more than your bobby on the beat can sentence you for breaking the law.

http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/hi/technology/newsid_7773000/7773340.stm

Illegal immigrants get nothing - except deportation. Economic migrants get nothing for two years at the moment. Immigrants from the 'old' European Union get the same as us, provided they can provide a National Insurance number. A8 nationals (from eg Estonia, Latvia, Poland) get no assistance for two years. And if / when A8 nationals in the UK lose their jobs, they also lose most of their entitlements to state support, including welfare benefits, public housing and homelessness assistance Asylum seekers get £30 a week ish and somewhere to live until their application is admitted or dismissed. TDD - there are differences between illegal immigrants, legal immigrants and asylum seekers.

Those Kleenex Balsam tissues are really good. No sore nose if you use them (probably too late now though TBH). Hope you feel better soon.

That does look like a bare ar*e on the right, doesn't it

Sandwich spread is in a small pot - like a meat paste jar but maybe a bit bigger or a jam jar but a bit smaller. Vegetable salad is in a tin - about Baked Bean tin size.

Special K - I think a retention would be a good idea in these 'difficult economic times'. Contractors are going bust left right and centre and you've got no come-back if something goes wrong after completion and the bloke's bankrupt. I held a retention on some work I had done on my house some years ago and the guy refused to come back to rectify defects. At least I had the money to pay someone else to do it in his place.

Under EU law employees from any member state can claim child benefit in the country they are working in, even if their children are living in their home country - so I should have a pop at the French, German and Italian workers in this country too, if I were you. And whilst you're at it, why not criticise people living in other European countries who have originated from the UK and who are now receiving EU medical treatment, education etc. etc. etc. ad nauseam. It's a two-way thing. However, many EU immigrants are returning home now so any problem there was will be shrinking daily.

Thank you

I have no idea! Perhaps she paid an extortionate amount of money to hide in the back of a truck. And you're right, most asylum seekers do seek refuge close to home and return home asap. Under the 1951 Convention on Refugees, which the UK has signed, anyone has the right to apply for asylum in the UK, and to stay here until there is a final decision on their application. And this is where some confusion is arising I think. It's not about where the asylum seekers have come from - it's about where they will be sent back to if their application fails. This is where the 'third country' bit comes in. In fact, proportionate to the size of our country we have fewer asylum seekers than many other European countries. Britain comes eighth for the number of applicants for asylum per 1000 inhabitants - after Austria, Sweden, Norway, Luxembourg, Switzerland and Belgium. When you take size of population and the wealth of the countries into account, Britain comes tenth in Europe.

The Government's own figures show that migrants and refugees make a huge overall contribution to national wealth. They made a net contribution of around £2.5 billion to income tax in 1999-2000 for example. This means they bring in £800 million a year more than the cost of running the entire asylum and immigration system. Many migrants from the UK to, for example, France and Spain do not bother to learn French / Spanish. When children from overseas arrive in this country, it is unlikely, on the first day at school, that they will speak English easily. This is why over 20 languages are spoken at some schools. However, those children learn English at school (shocking, I know). Recently an Iranian girl living near me achieved 3 straight As in her A levels, having arrived in the UK only two years earlier.

I agree with you. I was trying to think out loud about her route from Afghanistan to the UK and how many countries she would have travelled across.

Whereas you have been in one for some time, judging by your comments. This is the Lounge - the place for serious debate. I'm surprised you found your way here TBH

Exactly the same as Sandwich Spread only with bigger chunks - so to speak. It's macedoine of vegetables in salad cream. Sandwich Spread is minced vegetables in salad cream.

TDD I've been quiet because I've been trying to understand this 'first safe country' thing. I still don't . But I have come across something called the 'third country' rule. This has been adopted by the EU (although the UK has opt out rights if it wants to exercise them - it chooses not to ATM). I THINK it means that if an application for asylum is refused, the asylum seeker is returned to the previous safe country from whence s/he came. And I THINK it means that Europe is treated as one country. So if this woman's UK application is turned down, she has to return to the previous safe country outside Europe that she was in. Let's say she flew from Afghanistan. Would that be a direct flight? Or would she have travelled to, say Pakistan, then flown on from there? If she flew from Pakistan, I THINK it could be argued that she should be returned there if her application fails. If her flight comprised a change of aircraft in, say, Germany and her application fails, I don't think returning her to Germany would count. This is all summation on my part because of the legalistic terminology used in the articles I've just looked at. Maybe someone else understands this 'third country' rule better than I?

On the face of it, no. But you and I don't know the particular circumstances, do we. There may be good and justifiable reasons why she is living in a particular area. Would she be well received in Netley :smt102

She's not getting 'stupid' money. Her landlord is. She gets between £32 and £42 a week for herself to live plus an amount for her children. I couldn't support myself on £42 a week! She is not allowed to work until her asylum claim has been admitted.

Have a look at this and tell me it's 'easy' being a refugee. http://www.advicenow.org.uk/advicenow-guides/immigration/support-for-asylum-seekers-in-the-uk/ Oh and WSS I was wrong - sorry. Reading this link, I see that asylum seekers can be sent anywhere in the country, unless there are particular reasons why they are sent to one area over another.

Pip - look! http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_east/7771893.stm

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm for me Along with tinned vegetable salad :cool: